SPORTS By Steph Smith, OP Contributor Pink NHL jerseys. This is the latest marketing idea they have come up with. The idea came about in direct response to the NHL’s polling numbers—approximately 40 percent of hockey fans are women and women like the colour pink. Or so they claim. And “Who are they?” you ask. They are Reebok, and in early September they will begin produc- ing these jerseys. The hope is that the pink versions of NHL apparel will catch on and influence more women to purchase NHL merchandise. According to Barry Monaghan, the NHL’s senior direc- tor for sales and marketing for Canada, “It will be a totally pink-and-white product. It will not reflect a jersey utilizing the blue at all.” The idea to produce fashionable colours has been in the works for over three years. Monaghan con- tinued, “Obviously, we had the lull during the lockout, but (and Fanatic) in Pink jerseys for two seasons and many NHL teams already offer hats and t-shirts in feminine cuts and pastel colours. “Tt allows women to be fashionable and still support their teams,” said Jenny Lyons Cohane, a spokeswoman for Reebok. The pink jerseys will retail for about $70, as com- pared to $110 for the licensed men’s jersey. On top of the ptice difference, the women’s product is going to be made of softer polyester and will feature a screen print of the team crest rather than the embroidered crest and shoulder patches. Fan reaction has been mixed. Hockey fan Christine Blouin claims to like the look of the new pink jersey. She says that she won't buy a regular jersey because they’re designed to wear hockey equipment under them, and they don’t fit her very well. “But pink? It’s not right. It’s just not the right colour,” she said. has seen pink jerseys at Philadelphia games. “As much as you're saying, ‘It’s not a team colour, it’s a fashion trend. It’s nice to see team spirit no matter where it’s coming from.” Will this new trend catch on as strongly as Reebok and the NHL are hoping? We can only wait and see. it also gave us some chances to try some different things and we did some extra reseatch on who our customer is and who our fan is, and the female is a large part of that.” Both the NBA and the NFL have been producing pink On the other hand, Heidi Haraldsson said she loves the pink, but thinks it could become too trendy. “Everyone would think you're just trying to be cutesy.” Erik Marsh, son of former NHLer Brad Marsh, said he WT Fiction? TALL By Brady Ehler I. Can I make something sublime from putting words in the perfect order? Il. I can’t change karma I would not think to change fate. All I do is watch. III. If waking life is much more real than dreaming is, do we really dream? IV. Some say it’s better to pretend you’re not depressed but then, why bother? V. Men sometimes claim that man is nature’s enemy, but man is nature! VI. At my funeral do whatever you want to, because I won’t mind. Vil. If education enlightens, then why does it feel so damn heavy? 20 DOUGLOPOLITAN AUGUST 2006 In 2004 you couldn’t make it two blocks along Commercial Drive without seeing a Ramones tee- shirt tucked into a pair of jeans, showcasing what was for a time, the standardized black leather belt with diamond shaped metal studs. There were too many people with the same belt, and when too many people share the same taste, the taste goes sour. The same stubborn brew-heads of the Cobalt who brought you the studded belt look also retain the rights to wear Chuck Taylor All-Stars without guilt. And while those of the three-chord mentality may have every intention of keeping to their punk roots, its pretty clear that a lot of middle class punk teens in North America brought the basic concepts of punk fashion with them as they grew up to become post-punk hipsters. Today, punk has been accessorized into mainstream fashion, like skate- boarding attire in the 90’s, and new-wave in the 80’s. I didn’t understand the punk scene until three years ago when I attended the wedding of a friend and co-worker. I hadn’t considered there would be a theme to what the groom and his twelve groomsmen would all be wearing. It turns out that I was oblivious to the signifi- cance of fashion to each genre. The punk over-tones of the wedding were marked by their outfits; black-ties on short sleeved white shirts, black Dickies’ pants and metal stud- ded belts. Each outfit was crowned from the bottom with a new pair of Chuck Taylors. I felt so out of place in my office suit, I pocketed my tie in an attempt to play it cool, and left my blazer on the chair for the afternoon. It didn’t matter, Middie Ground — Punk’n Fashion By Travis Paterson, Opinions Editor I felt like Ronald McDonald in my clunky Fluevog’s. On the way to the wedding I was comfortable in my cheap suit. I thought I was above fashion and that it didn’t matter. At the wedding I was so impressed by the simplicity of the groomsmen that on the way home I had a revelation about fashion; namely, the simple reality that I didn’t have any. I’d been hit and miss for years, but mostly miss. Later, the groom shared with me his favourite movie, S.E. Hinton’s #he Outsiders. 1 came to under- stand the effect that movie had on him and his friends, and that not all punks were the same. From that day forward, I couldn’t help but notice the amount of metal studded belts adorning the pants of our youth. Even more prominent is the diverse product line of Converse All-Star’s which have perpetrated the market. Today, this shoe has become a standard in any shoe closet, be you male or female. How long will the floozies like Paris Hilton rely on punk accessories for credibility? Not long, but nothing ever goes away these days.